Box Score

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz women's lacrosse team (4-8, 0-6 SUNYAC) had one of its best-ever showings against SUNY Cortland (13-1, 6-0 SUNYAC) on Saturday at the Turf Field, but the Hawks ended up falling by a 22-10 final to the fourth-ranked Red Dragons in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) clash. It marked New Paltz's final home game of the 2013 season.

Cortland never trailed in the contest, hopping out to an 8-1 lead early. Maria Di Fato scored two of her game-high five goals in the first three minutes of play, but sophomore midfielder Lianne Valdivia (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) scored less than a minute after her second marker to make it a 2-1 game. The Red Dragons then went on a six-goal tear that saw five different players find the back of the net, and Di Fato swelled the advantage to 8-1 with 16:40 to go in the first half. Following a goal by senior attack player Erin Tornatore (Glen Cove, N.Y./North Shore), Cortland scored two straight behind Tara Monaghan and Emma Hayes-Hurley markers. The Hawks continued to stave off the running clock, as Valdivia and Tornatore scored back-to-back goals to make it a six-goal game. After a Di Fato goal, junior attack player Talia Tesler (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) got involved in New Paltz's scoring, but Cortland netted two straight markers to end the half, the last of which came from Monaghan right before the horn.

The Red Dragons enacted the running clock during the early moments of the second stanza, extending their 13-5 halftime lead into a 15-5 edge just 1:16 into the period. Cortland mounted a 20-5 cushion, using seven consecutive goals to start the half. Sophomore midfielder Julia Johnson (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) cashed in on a free-position attempt to net the Hawks' first goal of the second half with 15:23 to go in regulation, and that initiated a 5-2 New Paltz rally to close the game. Nicole Bello scored on a free-position attempt nearly five minutes after Johnson's goal, but the Hawks scored three straight. Sophomore midfielder Carissa Citro (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) scored before Johnson netted the next two. Alex Fritz completed Cortland's scoring for the afternoon with 1:44 to go in the contest, while Tornatore's goal with 29 seconds left spelled out the final score.

Both teams fared well with regard to maintaining possession, as they combined for just 19 turnovers. Cortland went 14-for-15 on clear attempts, while New Paltz was 10-for-11. The Red Dragons outgained the Hawks, 22-11, in ground balls, and they held a 37-21 advantage in shots. In spite of the loss, New Paltz dominated off the draw, boasting 21 draw controls to Cortland's 12.

New Paltz's offensive efforts were headed by Tornatore and Johnson, each of whom scored three goals. Valdivia netted two markers, while Citro and Tesler each scored once. Citro, Tesler and Tornatore all finished with an assist. Tornatore and Healy helped pace the Hawks off the draw, finishing with nine and seven draw controls, respectively.

For Cortland, 29 different players saw action, and 10 different Red Dragons scored. Di Fato's five goals and three assists keyed the attack, while Erica Geremia notched seven points off four goals and three assists. Liz Beville and Hayes-Hurley each scored three times, while Monaghan recorded two markers. Gina Campese, Marilyn Farrell, Bello, Fritz and Amelia Taylor rounded out Cortland's scoring with one goal apiece. Lavelle scooped up a game-high five ground balls, while Hayes-Hurley controlled four draws.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jackie Ulanoff (Northport, N.Y./Northport) shouldered the loss in net, making eight stops, while her counterpart, Shauna Hutchinson, turned aside seven shots in the win. Hutchinson played for 45:22 before turning the reins over to Liz Ingalls. Ingalls made one save in 9:23 of play, while Andrea Moore closed out the contest by playing the final 5:15.

New Paltz completes its 2013 schedule on the road, with its final two games in the central and western parts of the state, respectively. The Hawks square off with SUNY Oswego at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, before finishing out their regular season at SUNY Geneseo at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. New Paltz is out of the SUNYAC playoff picture.